Book Review - All That We Can Be

• Author: Major Michele E. Williams
• Pages: 05

203 MILITARY LAW REVIEW [Vol. 159

ALL THAT WE CAN BE1

REVIEWED BY MAJOR MICHELE E. WILLIAMS2

The Army is "the only place in American life where whites are routinely bossed around by blacks."3 This is the conclusion of two sociologists who wrote All That We Can Be, a thought provoking book about race integration in the U.S. Army. The authors persuasively argue that the Army is "the most successfully racially integrated institution" in America.4 The authors outline twelve key principles that arise from the Army's experience and argue that civilian institutions can use these principles to achieve successful race integration.5 Military insiders may find most of these principles commonsense. Two of these principles, however, are rather controversial and should fuel significant debate.6 The authors conclude that the civilian world can achieve the Army's results on a large-scale only through a national service program, which they term the "civic equivalent of the draft."7

The authors' backgrounds lend strength and credibility to their opinions on race integration and affirmative action. Both authors served in the

Army after being drafted and view their military experience favorably.8 Both have studied the military extensively throughout their careers.9 Their backgrounds also defy racial stereotypes. Mr. Moskos benefited from affirmative action during college but is white.10 Mr. Butler is a black American11 and the fourth generation of his family with a college degree.12 Perhaps most importantly, both have gained "extraordinary access" to the military at all levels.13 By providing this information, the authors implicitly acknowledge that opinions about race integration often result from our own personal backgrounds. As a result, many readers (especially those with some military experience) will find additional insight and balance in the authors' views.14

One does not have to agree with the authors' views to find valuable lessons in All That We Can Be. Military and civilian leaders should take special note of the authors' insights on affirmative action. They emphasize that institutions that lower standards to promote less qualified individuals may quickly achieve the "right" race mix and temporary peace.15 The long-term costs of this kind of affirmative action, however, are resentment by whites and loss of self-esteem for blacks, who are made to feel that they cannot succeed without special favors.16 The authors argue that the Army's method is better. This method, which they call "compensatory action," helps disadvantaged groups to meet the standards of competition.17 Instead of lowering standards to promote black Americans, the Army educates and trains them up to the standards. Thus, the Army can promote black Americans to leadership positions without suffering a loss in quality.

To their credit, the authors do not try to gloss over the fact that "compensatory action" has not come cheap for the Army. For example, forty percent of black students entering West Point first attend the Military Academy Preparatory School, where the cost of training is $40,000 to $60,000 per student.18 Add the cost of four years at West Point, and the Army has spent close to $300,000 to make each of these students a commissioned officer.19 The Army also invests significant resources in its military equal opportunity advisors, sending them away from their units for nearly four months of training at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.20 The Institute's annual budget (not including salaries for the sixty-five military members on its staff) is close to two million dollars.21

Leaders in the corporate world are likely to look at these costs of success and wonder how the authors' twelve principles could possibly be applied to institutions governed by the profit motive. Unfortunately, the authors do not answer this important question but leave the reader yearning for more. The book presents only two arguments on the benefits of race integration: that enhancing black participation is good for organizational effectiveness, and...